The culmination of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is upon us in next month's Avengers: Infinity War. The marketing for the film is now in full swing but we still have yet to catch a glimpse of Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye. Even this morning's incredible final trailer for the film and the accompanying new poster don't feature Clint Barton. So what is going on with Hawkeye in Infinity War and where is the character after the team-breaking events of Captain America: Civil War? Well, Infinity War directors Joe and Anthony Russo explained a little about what's in store for Hawkeye, saying:
Joe Russo: Coming out of Civil War, he's in the same position that Cap and Falcon are at the end of that movie. And Ant-Man. Coming into this movie, you know... Characters on Cap's side coming out of the Civil War, some made certain decisions and others made other decisions that led to different paths in them dealing with oversight in this movie in a different way. So Hawkeye's on his own journey in this movieAnthony Russo: Yeah. He has a unique reaction to the civil war situation that puts him in a special spot in this film.
Speaking with CinemaBlend's own Sean O'Connell and other outlets during a set visit last year, the Russo Brothers make it clear that the events of Civil War will continue to impact the fractured Avengers team. Hawkeye was one of the Avengers who became a fugitive at the end of Civil War, so he finds himself in a similar situation as the rest of Cap's team. While in prison, Clint Barton was especially angry at the way things went down and he let Tony Stark know it. After being broken out from prison, it sounds like Hawkeye took a much different path than the other fugitives. But the question remains, what path did he take and where did it lead him?
Avengers: Infinity War picks up about two years after Civil War, and in the time since everyone has been doing their own thing. Cap has been a fugitive in Wakanda, still working with Black Widow. The other members of Cap's team, Wanda and Sam, have already been seen joining the fight in Infinity War. It's just the conspicuously absent Ant-Man and Hawkeye who are the question marks. Hawkeye is one of the few members of the Avengers who has a real family life, and he probably went back to his wife and kids and retired after that film. The events of Civil War likely made him no longer want to be a part of the constant struggle of superhero life. But just sitting at home isn't much of a journey, and the question remains what his arc will be as his friends face off with a cosmic threat.
What's especially interesting is why we have yet to see anything of Hawkeye and this special spot he finds himself in as Anthony Russo mentioned. Is Hawkeye's story almost entirely separate from everyone else's, and is there another thread to this movie that we haven't even glimpsed in the trailers yet? There is also the speculation that Clint Barton will be assuming the Ronin identity, and that is why he is being held back. Regardless, based on the Russo Brothers' comments, it sounds like Hawkeye's story will be one of the more unique and personal in this film, and perhaps it is his journey that eventually heals the divide left after Civil War.
Stay tuned to CinemaBlend as we eagerly anticipate seeing all the MCU heroes standing side by side against Thanos. Avengers: Infinity War fulfills our childhood dreams on April 27.
